Out of Leeds in the north of England, Higher Power burst onto the scene with a hardcore that refused to be boxed in. Soul Structure, their debut album released in 2017, lays the groundwork for a singular identity: a band drawing as much from hardcore as from nineties alternative, even at the risk of throwing off the purists.
Hardcore in alternative colors
What leaps out is the room given to groove and melody. The guitars alternate between massive riffs and cleaner lines, almost funk at times, while the voice swings between the hardcore shout and a more melodic delivery. You sometimes think of the Seattle scene, of a certain skate-tinged alternative rock, as much as of hardcore fundamentals. This hybrid gives the record an unusual hue.
Youth full of ideas
Soul Structure breathes the enthusiasm of a band that dares. The tempo shifts are frequent, the moods varied, and you sense a will never to repeat itself. That generosity is the record’s charm: every track attempts something, whether a more atmospheric bridge or a catchy chorus. The production, raw but legible, leaves plenty of room for that youthful energy.
This eclecticism has a flip side, though. In trying to embrace everything, the album sometimes lacks cohesion, and certain ideas deserved to be dug into further. The voice, still under construction, does not always convince in its melodic passages. You sense a band in the making, full of promise, but one that has not yet found the perfect balance among its many influences.
A promising first step
Soul Structure is not a perfect record, but it is a stimulating first cast, that of a band refusing the boxes. On it Higher Power assert a personality rare in British hardcore, made of daring and curiosity. The foundations laid here herald exciting days ahead. An album to hear as a promise, with its clumsiness and its insolent freshness.
